Barack Obama on Education

Sen. Obama supports increased summer programs for disadvantaged students. He has sponsored legislation to increase maximum Pell Grant awards and supports a program to reward innovative teachers and school districts.

Teacher/District incentives:

Senator Obama introduced the Innovation Districts for School Improvement Act to award grants to school districts that try new methods to improve student achievement and reward effective teachers. Under this initiative, 20 districts across the country would get grants to develop innovative plans in consultation with their teacher unions. High-performing teachers would be eligible for pay increases of 10 to 20 percent of their base salary. These innovation districts would be required to implement systemic reforms and show convincing results.

Teacher pay:

Senator Obama supports an "across the board" increase in pay for teachers and added incentives for those who are willing to work in underperforming low income or rural schools. He also supports merit pay for teachers, but says that he would not use "arbitrary tests" to link performance to pay.

NCLB:

Senator Obama does not support re-authorization of No Child Left Behind.

Summer programs:

Senator Obama worked with Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) to introduce the Summer Term Education Programs for Upward Progress (STEP UP) Act to address the achievement gaps among grade-school children. STEP UP establishes a grant program to support summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through local schools or community organizations. The goal is to narrow the gap between children who can afford summer education programs and those who do not.

Federal loans:

The first bill Senator Obama introduced in the U.S. Senate was the HOPE Act, which would help make college more affordable for many Americans. The bill would increase the maximum Pell Grant from the current limit of $4,050 to a new maximum of $5,100.

Directly from the candidate:

We are failing too many of our children in public schools. Right now, six million middle and high school students read at levels significantly below their grade level. Unfortunately, the debate in Washington has been narrowed: either we need to pour more money into the system, or we need to reform it with more tests and standards. As a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Obama has introduced bills that cut through this false choice and recognize that good schools will require both structural reform and resources.